I know I've mentioned on here before that I find scars on people's bodies, big or small, extremely fascinating and beautiful. I don't just mean like Decorative Scarring that's become a bit of a sub-genre to Tattooing or Branding as part of the BDSM society. I am also speaking of those scars that peek out from clothing or hair from past injuries or surgeries and make each one of us unique.

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I was a Tomboy as a kid, ans as such got into quite a few activities that were classified normally as "Boy Stuff". I rode a sports bike, played sports in school, built toy models, collected Hot Wheels, and loved Choose Your Own Adventure Books (only "girly books" I read were the Laura Ingalls Wilder stories). Of course doing some of that stuff got me into a few physical disasters during my childhood, and I have the physical scars still to prove it.

Amusingly enough my largest scar is the one shown above. it's on my abdomen just below my left breast. You'd think at first glance from the shape and the position that I'd somehow gotten stabbed or some other random brush with childhood mayhem.

Instead it is simply a permanent mark from when I had a bit of surgery at 18 years old. There's more scarring underneath that like a partially collapsed left lung which was a side effect of removing some cartilage from my lower 2 ribs. Why? To use in constructing a right ear for me. Yes, I was born without a proper right ear... which of course made my childhood extremely painful since kids will find just about anything to make fun of. Despite the scar and issues with my lung, I don't regret the surgery at all.

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I understand that some scars bring forth more agonizing memories in which someone would prefer not to speak of. I can respect that, of course... but sometimes that inner pain can be diminished at least a little bit by talking about it.

In any case, the next time you happen to catch yourself looking at someone with a strange scar on their forehead, hand or somewhere else... see if you can find the courage to ask him or her about it. Both of you may be pleasantly surprised once the story unfolds. You may even find a new friend in the process. :-)